LG’s New Laser Projector Works Just 2 Inches Away From Your Wall

Projectors have the potential to render images with higher fidelity and at larger sizes than a traditional TV, but they used to require changes to your room setup. The days of mounting the projector in the middle of your space have come to an end with the advent of ultra short throw (UST) projectors. These devices can sit closer to the projection surface, and LG’s new CineBeam Laser 4K projector gets closer than ever. It needs just two inches of separation from the wall.

With the minimum 2-inch clearance, the CineBeam Laser 4K can project a 90-inch 4K image. If you can increase the distance to seven inches, the size goes up to 120 inches. The projector can also output 2,500 ANSI lumens, enough for the image to look good in average indoor lighting. LG also claims it has eliminated the image distortion endemic among ultra short throw projectors with the help of a new 12-point keystone adjustment feature.

LG is planning its big reveal for CES next month, so it hasn’t released all the specs for this device. We know that it will have USB, Ethernet, and HDMI ports, which gives you plenty of options for piping in content from your devices. If it’s anything like last year’s LG projectors, it will run on the WebOS smart TV platform with support for the company’s ThinQ AI features. So, you’ll probably be able to yell at your projector to make it do things.

The big question mark is, of course, the price. Last year’s LG short throw projectors were between $2,000 and $3,000 at launch. If it can get the new UST projector anywhere near that, it will be instantly leading the pack. Hisense has UST 4K projectors starting at $10,000, and Dell just put its UST laser system on sale for $4,800 (down from $6,000).

Continue reading

Breakthrough Listen Project Scans 60 Million Stars, Finds Zero Aliens

Scientists with the Breakthrough Listen project took up the mantle of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) several years ago, continuing the decades-long search for ET. The project has just released its largest survey to date, consisting of more than 60 million stars...and no aliens.

Far Beyond the Stars: Improving Motion, Image Quality in the DS9 Upscale Project

It's been nine months since Joel Hruska's last Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Upscale Project update. The new encode method he debuts here offers better motion and improved image quality relative to what was possible last year.

Deep Space Nine Project Update: Why MakeMKV-Derived Files Don’t Work

The question of why a MakeMKV source doesn't work has come up again and again, so we decided to investigate it.

Harvard-Backed ‘Galileo Project’ Will Search for Signs of Alien Technology

Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb has gained a measure of notoriety for his claim that ʻOumuamua could be a piece of alien technology. Now, a group has backed an initiative called The Galileo Project, which will allow Loeb and others to search for more interstellar objects with the hope that one of them will be indisputably alien in origin.